


On A Pale Horse

by Oricalle



Series: Luck Of The Draw Universe [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe- Card Games, Comedy, F/F, Fluff, Post-Timeskip Ages, Spinoff, Spoilers for Luck Of The Draw, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23895931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oricalle/pseuds/Oricalle
Summary: A conventional visit to the games store becomes more interesting when a mysterious stranger approaches Edelgard with an offer and a challenge.A short story taking place after "Luck Of The Draw".
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Luck Of The Draw Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722349
Comments: 18
Kudos: 132





	On A Pale Horse

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place after the conclusion of my larger story, "Luck Of The Draw". It contains lots of spoilers, so beware!

As December came to Garreg Mach University, the weather took a drastic turn. The pleasant sunny chills and gentle breezes that had dominated fall were gone, replaced with powerful blustering winds and frequent frozen downpours. Having moved from an apartment to a moblie home, to Edelgard, the effects of the terrible weather were much more evident than ever before. It was a particularly windy day as she sat in the middle of the RV’s kitchen, a stack of ungraded work sitting before her. And it seemed that it would stay that way, as the incessant rattles of the windows kept dragging her attention away from her students’ work.

With a small groan, she dropped her head onto the stack of papers before her, taking a moment to rest her head amidst a paragraph on the PH scale. She stayed down, even through the coming footsteps, until a gentle hand landed on her forehead and gingerly motioned it upwards.

Byleth, it seemed, wasn’t nearly as bothered by the conditions outside. She looked as full of energy as ever, even as she frowned at Edelgard peering up from the pile of papers.

“Are they that bad?”

Shaking her head, Edelgard sat upright once more. “No, dear. The papers are...fine. This weather is just...distracting me, I suppose. It’ll take some time.”

“When are they due back?”

Edelgard shrugged. “In a week.”

“A week?” Byleth blinked. “Why do them now?”

“I like to be prepared!” Edelgard answered. Byleth evidently didn’t share her enthusiasm for early preparation, as she raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“You need to relax, El.”

Edelgard scoffed. “I’ve heard that before.”

“Why don’t we go to Nabatea? That’ll help.”

It was true that a quick visit to the card shop typically lifted her spirits. And on a day like this, it was unlikely much work would be getting done at the trailer anyway.

“Fine.” Edelgard crossed her arms. “But I’m bringing the essays.”

Typical of a Tuesday afternoon, Nabatea was fairly quiet. As Edelgard pushed the door open, the bell jingling gently, she surveyed the store. Near the rear of the room, Seteth was helping a group of customers sift through a large pile of board games. Taking his usual place at the counter was Flayn, who waved excitedly as Byleth shut the door behind them.

“Hello!” she called, chipper as usual. “Oh! Edelgard! Come here!”

“Do you need something, Flayn?” Edelgard asked, approaching the countertop.

Grinning, the diminutive clerk gestured at the top of the shelves behind her, hopping up and down in a futile attempt to reach. “We got the new Premium Lord series in!”

Arranged on the top shelf were a row of Fire Emblem cards. But as Edelgard’s muffled gasp would attest, these were no ordinary Fire Emblem cards. The Premium Lord series was a new product from Emblem Games, offering brand new editions of several of the most popular units in the history of the game. Brand new artwork and special foiling techniques made them highly desirable collector’s items, but they unfortunately carried a price tag to match.

With some effort, Edelgard tore her eyes away from the luxurious sight. “They’re beautiful. But...a little out of my price range right now.” Flayn gasped, wincing.

“Oh dear! I’m so sorry! That was inconsiderate of me, I should have remembered that-”

“It’s quite alright!”

Without the funding that had once come from Arundel, Edelgard’s university stipend was now just enough to cover her normal weekly expenditures, as well as contributing to the upkeep of the Eisner RV.

With a final wistful glance at the cards, Edelgard smiled. “Thank you for letting me know anyway, Flayn.” Their business concluded, Edelgard and Byleth descended the stairs to Nabatea’s basement, utterly unaware that they were being watched. With the jingling of a bell, someone new made their way into the store.

“Ellllll. Let’s go to Game 2. Ellll.”

Edelgard looked up from her pile of papers, now slightly smaller thanks to some focused work, to find Byleth nearly draped across the table. As she shook her head, Byleth sighed.

“We came here so you could relax. You’re just doing more work.”

“I like work.” Edelgard lied. In truth, she just knew she’d eat away at herself if she didn’t complete it as soon as possible. “We’ll play again later.”

“Cowardly.”

“What?” Edelgard jerked her head up, only to find Byleth looking as shocked as she was before whirling around in her chair. There, near the steps, stood a man neither of them had ever seen before. He wore a dark leather jacket and scuffed jeans, with a ponytail of thick blonde hair running down his back. His voice was deep and gravelly, and he affixed Edelgard with a withering stare.

“You would deny your opponent another game? Did you emerge victorious, and now you fear it was a fluke, desperate not to have your own weakness revealed? Or did you fail, and now another bout will only confirm your shortcomings? The battlefield has a way of telling all.”

The room was silent for a few more moments, as Edelgard raised an eyebrow at the mysterious visitor, expecting him to burst into laughter or reveal the script he’d read that sudden monologue from any moment. Instead, he approached, demeanor utterly unchanged.

“I seek the Flame Emperor.”, he drawled, and Edelgard’s heart leapt in her chest.

Byleth moved quickly, putting herself between the stranger and Edelgard. She stood, rising to her full height to stare the man in the eye. “Did Arundel put you up to this?”

He scoffed. “I’ve no relation to that scum. I simply heard you were the best, Hresvelg, and I aim to test that for myself.”

Edelgard frowned. “Well, I’m afraid I’m busy at the moment. Come to Thursday’s event, and perhaps we’ll be paired against one another.”

The intruder shook his head. “So, the call of the battlefield alone is not enough to rouse you? And here I thought we had a common love. So, if I must prove more convincing…”

From the front pocket of his jacket, the man withdrew a small plastic box and placed it on the table. Fresh from the shelves upstairs, it was one of the entries in the Premium Lord series, featuring “Camus, Sable Knight”.

“Should you best me, I will gladly give you these spoils of war. That is all I ask.”

Edelgard paused a moment, pressing her tongue against the back of her teeth as she admired the exquisite foiling on the card. “And if you win?”

“I will depart just as quickly as I arrived.” He gave a slight smile. “I care not for material frivolities, I seek only the joy of battle with a worthy opponent. And you seem just the kind to offer it.”

Byleth gave her a wary glance, but Edelgard could feel her heart beginning to pound. The prize, of course, was tempting, but it seemed the competitive instinct that dwelled within her chest was fully awakened now, urging her to accept a new challenger.

“I accept your proposal.” She extended a hand above the table. “Mr…”

“Emile.” The handshake was returned, firm and confident. “Let us make war, Flame Emperor.”

For all his bluster, bravado, and apparent theatricality, Edelgard had to admit that Emile was a fierce opponent.

“I’ll advance with Camus and Reinhardt along the eastern edge. Reinhardt casts Dire Thunder on the gate, forty damage, the gate is destroyed.”

A frown tugged at the sides of Edelgard’s lips. She had set up defensively, planning to pick off Emile’s offensively oriented units as they rushed her position. He was smart, though, carefully maneuvering around the edges of her warriors’ ranges as he picked away at her terrain defenses.

Brow knit tight with concentration, Edelgard surveyed the battlefield, running down each potential line of play in her head. An all out assault would likely quickly dispatch Reinhardt, Thunder’s Fist, but Camus’ heavy armor would be too much to break through, and on his turn, Emile’s retaliation would likely prove deadly for any units she committed to the attack. On the other hand, her units weren’t equipped for an extremely long game, and holding back too long would allow Emile to surround her position with his highly mobile cavalry, which were only made stronger by Camus’ “Sable Order” ability.

“You appear troubled.” Emile had a wide smirk on his angular face, his thumb stroking slowly at his chin. “Have you lost your nerve, Emperor?”

At the east edge of the table, Edelgard caught Byleth’s sudden scowl out of the corner of her eye. Quickly, she responded, in hopes of avoiding a fistfight in the basement of the local game store.

“It’ll take more than that to deter me, Emile. I’ll activate my Ballista and use Rebecca’s special ability to amplify its range. Targeting Maribelle, your Troubadour.”

The flash of surprise on Emile’s face seemed to be enough to soothe Byleth. “Well. You are every bit as skilled as I have heard.”

“And you are perhaps not as intimidating as you believe yourself to be.”

Emile began to chuckle, slowly shaking his head as his eyes met Edelgard’s. “I don’t believe I ever told you about the last store I frequented, Flame Emperor. Again and again, my rivals challenged me, foolishly dashing their bodies upon my weapons, lambs clamoring to the slaughter, until, to a man, their spirits broke. From then on, I developed a reputation.” 

Emile grinned wide, his gaze not letting up.

“Let us see how you compare.”

The roaring din of the battlefield had quieted as countless warriors fell, the survivors still locked in desperate combat. At the battle’s beginning, the sun had shone over the mountain fortress, but now the dull orange tint of evening was drifting through the portcullis. Just inside, the Flame Emperor readied her axe, standing before her throne in an effort to encourage her bruised and battered allies. The thunder of distant hooves on stone was swift approaching, and the battle’s outcome with it.

“I shall position Camus in front of the gate and play an Elixir from my hand to restore his health. As he is now within three tiles of Xander, Eldigan, and Laurent, his Sable Order skill is active, increasing all of their statistics.” Emile folded his arms and gave Edelgard a nod. “Go on, Emperor. Show me if you can create a battlefield miracle.”

“It is a skill I’ve been known to possess.” Straightening in her chair, Edelgard set to work. “I’ll play an Entrap stave from my hand and equip it to Wrys, Humble Curate. I’ll immediately spend all the charges to pull Camus four spaces forward...triggering Karel’s Bloody Opportunist passive ability, which allows him to strike a unit for critical damage if they try to move past him, as Camus is forced to do…”

As Emile’s face fell, Byleth’s smile only grew.

“Camus is now in range of Arvis, Emperor Of Flame, activating his Ambition ability for being within combat range of the enemy Lord. With Ambition triggered, I’ll expend all the charges on his Elfire Tome at once to deal another critical hit to Camus, which gains 10 bonus damage from Ambition, which should leave your Lord at...five hit points?”

“I…correct.”

Leaning forward, Edelgard tapped her fingernail on her last unused unit. “I’ll have Astram attack for lethal damage. Any effects?”

Scowling, Emile began to pore over the cards in his hand, scanning each of them as if they contained secrets that could stop time, cure disease, and even win him this match of Fire Emblem. Finally, with a sigh, he laid down his cards.

“I must admit defeat. You are the victor.”

Edelgard turned to find Byleth’s arms spread wide, and she leaned into them, accepting a warm victory embrace from her number one fan. Emile shook his head, gathering his cards back into his deck box and tossing one back onto the table.

“I will keep my word, Emperor. The spoils of victory are-”

“Emile!”

An airy voice drifted down the steps, one Edelgard was familiar with but couldn’t seem to put a face to. 

“Emile, are you there?”

Emile’s fearsome visage lit up with an expression Edelgard hadn’t yet seen upon it: A pale-tinted mix of surprise and what almost seemed like fear.

“Oh little brother! You forgot your lunch!”

Briskly stepping down the stairs, Mercedes Martritz emerged into Nabatea’s basement, a plastic-wrapped sandwich in one hand and a water bottle in the other. She was making a beeline for a rapidly reddening Emile, waving joyfully.

“Oh, Edelgard, Byleth, it’s so good to see you! I see you’ve met my brother!”

Eyes wide, Edelgard took in Mercedes’ bright smile and the growing look of doom on Emile’s face. “Wait, you two are related?”

“That’s right!” One of Mercedes’ arms curled around Emile’s shoulder, gently tugging him towards her. “Can’t you see the resemblance?”

Glancing between the grinning, jubilant face of the campus nurse and the dour, perpetually frowning Emile’s countenance, Edelgard made the decision to lie.

“Oh, why, yes! Yes I can.”

As Edelgard began to pack up her cards, she watched Mercedes pressing the sandwich and water bottle into Emile’s hands. 

“You forgot this, silly! I made it for you before you left today, and-”

“Mercedes, I am 27 years old. You need not dote upon me.”

“Aww, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’ll always be my favorite lil’ brother!”

“Mercedes. Don’t.”

Across the table, Edelgard could see Byleth still studying both Martritz’s, likely also trying to decipher exactly how this was possible.

Emile’s chair squeaked against the floor as he quickly stood from his seat. “Well, as I was saying, I must depart. For I am...needed elsewhere.” He folded his arms, desperately trying to exude as much threatening energy as one could with a homemade crustless turkey sandwich in one hand. “It was an excellent battle, Flame Emperor. It was a valuable experience to cross blades with you.”

“Oh, and I’ll bet you both had such fun!” Mercedes chirped, leading to a deep blush from Emile. Swiftly, he began to depart the store, climbing the stairs with Mercedes close at his heels.

“Wait up!” Byleth called.

“Hmm?” Emile replied.

“I’d like to play with you sometime.” Byleth smiled. “Would you come to Thursday night play? I think you’d enjoy it.”

His eyes wide, Emile seemed to hesitate until Edelgard spoke up as well.

“I agree with Byleth. You’d make for quite the competitor. And if you’re interested...the Black Eagles could always use your allegiance.”

She grinned, and a ghost of a smile made its way to Emile’s lips. 

“Normally I would yield to no master, but your offer is...tempting. Perhaps I shall see you again, then.” 

With that, Emile quickly finished climbing the stairs, exiting Nabatea with his sister. Edelgard smiled as she laid her new Premium Camus on the table, Byleth sliding next to her to admire it as well.

“Ooh. Pretty card, El.”

“I must say, it is!”

A ratty deckbox was tossed onto the table.

“So pretty that you want to play, right?”

Shaking her head, Edelgard looked between the stack of papers poking out of her bag and the slowly widening puppy-dog eyes on Byleth’s face.

The papers never stood a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> Super Secret Author Notes:
> 
> \- Emile loves his sister, of course, but she's made him four lunches in three days and polls him for opinions on each. Sometimes she's a bit much.
> 
> \- "Mercedes. Don't." is an exact quote from the Mercedes and Jeritza flying practice chore and it's read in the absolute funniest deadpan I've ever heard. Please do yourself a favor and look it up.
> 
> \- Emile does start coming to Thursday Night League Play, and eventually joins the Eagles. He sends many, many cat pictures in the group chat.
> 
> I wanted to leave a more serious note here as well. Emile, as he is portrayed in canon Fodlan, shows many symptoms of having dissociative identity disorder. I wanted to make sure that when I wrote my version of him in this story, I didn't include anything that could play into harmful stereotypes about people with DID, or read as though it were mocking those with DID. The humor is meant to derive from Emile's dour and dramatic traits and the way they interact with his sister's constant optimism and support. I ensured to get early reader feedback on this from several people before posting it publicly, but it's entirely possible that I still missed something. If you are a person with DID or a friend or family to someone with DID, and something in this fic rings wrong to you, please do not hesitate to let me know in the comments so that I can make the proper corrections. It is extremely important to me that my fics are something that everyone can feel safe and welcome reading.
> 
> I know times are difficult for many of us right now, so I hope you enjoyed this little return to LOTD. Stay safe, and thank you so much for reading.


End file.
